Volunteers inspect dikes of the Vecht. ‘If sand also seeps out of the dike, you have to be careful’

There is little left of a normally calm river. In some places the Vecht now resembles a large lake. The volunteer dike guards deployed by the Vechtstromen water board for inspection at Coevorden, where the river flows into the Netherlands, must first wade through deep puddles before they reach the dike itself. Only high boots offer a solution.

Jaap Dorgelo is given a lap belt. Normally it is mainly used when it is dark and in stormy weather. So that no one just disappears. “But we now also inspect the dike right along the waterfront. There will just be an invisible hole at the bottom. You don’t want to fall in there,” says Renate van Doorn, who holds the rope that connects Dorgelo. The third dike keeper, Iwan Brinkhuis, uses the map.

Reports of nuisance

The three share the reason for voluntarily monitoring dikes: to contribute to the safety of others. “My husband works at the water board. In recent days he has received continuous reports of nuisance. It’s nice that I can now also contribute,” says Van Doorn, one of the few female dike keepers.

A total of 46 volunteers were sent in groups of three by the Vechtstromen water board on Wednesday to inspect the dikes of the Vecht between the German border and Ommen. They not only pay attention to cracks, erosion and damage in the dike itself, but also to what the river takes away. “Tree trunks, for example. They can cause significant damage if they hit something,” says Joop Coes of Vechtstromen.

“And don’t forget the roof,” Dorgelo points to the sloshing pile of branches, greenery and rubbish at the water’s edge. Only if the roof remains on the dike will the water level decrease. That was not yet the case at the beginning of the afternoon on Wednesday.

Video: Jan van Hoek

Vechtstromen is full of praise for the efforts of the dike guards. “They are the eyes of the water board,” says Coes. “Everything they notice is reported in an app. Based on this, we will determine whether and what measures are necessary.”

Dike breach

The dike keepers were appointed by Vechtstromen in response to the very dire situation along the Vecht in 1998. At that time, a dike threatened to have to be cut to prevent worse. Such a single-handed breakthrough can still be somewhat controlled. Since then, about ten water storage facilities have been constructed along the Vecht in the Vechtstromen area. “Almost all of them are in use now. A few are now full, such as the one near Gramsbergen,” says Marga Oosterveld of Vechtstromen.

That is why there was no panic when the 1998 level was exceeded by 1 centimeter on Boxing Day at 8:48 PM. “The water storage facilities prove their usefulness.” As a last resort, there are the two emergency storage facilities between Coevorden and Gramsbergen, the Noord and Zuid Meene. “The last bit of water can still be put in there. Think of these areas as two enormous bathtubs. Fortunately, we haven’t had to use it yet. Full is really full there,” says Oosterveld.

Tree trunks, tractor tracks that have damaged the dike, molehills, fox holes, dogs that have dug holes; At the end of the afternoon it appears that the dike guards have made many reports. “In some places, water seeped through the dike. If sand is also involved, you must be extra careful. Then such a dike can be eroded. We immediately looked into this and are keeping an extra eye on it,” says Oosterveld.

What helps is that eventually the level of the Vecht starts to drop. Oosterveld: “It is nice that we were able to deploy the dike guards especially when the water level was highest. So far always a training, now for the eggie.”